Inevitable
by TinaLynne
Summary: Post-ep fic for Body Count


Inevitable  
  
Spoilers: Camp Fear, Body Count   
  
Pairing: Hmm, I wonder?  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Disclaimer: These characters belong to CBS, I'm just borrowing them for awhile...  
  
A/N: I'm dying for the new season to begin but in the meantime, I thought I'd write another post-ep fic...  
  
He stared at the pictures on the wall one by one before he carefully took them down. All of them were gut wrenching, though he was immune to their effects. Except for the picture of Janet Medrano. That one got to him, there was no getting around that.  
  
Here was someone else he knew, gunned down in cold blood simply because she had done her job. Speed knew that it would never stop. There would always be criminals hurting innocent people and sometimes they would be people he knew and even people he loved. Someday it might even be him.  
  
Putting away the photos, he left the lab, wishing he could escape the dark thoughts in his head. It was strange because even though he had been close to death more times than he cared to remember, that wasn't what scared him.  
  
It was the knowledge that those he worked with and cared about were in as much danger as him and he couldn't bear the thought of losing another friend.   
  
At times like this he wondered why he had chosen a dangerous profession like this one. He knew why, though and knew that there was no way he was ever going to give it up. The best solution was to keep his distance and not let people get too close to his heart.  
  
It kept happening though and Speed felt powerless to stop it.  
  
"Hey, Tim." Calleigh's voice invaded his reverie and he smiled at her as she walked toward him. She looked tired and sad and Speed wished there was something he could do to take away the pain she must be feeling right about now.  
  
"You okay, Cal?" He asked her, knowing that she wasn't. Too much had happened for her to be okay. The fact that there had been a direct threat on her life in the last 24 hours had not gone unnoticed by him but he was trying hard not to let his emotions get the better of him. He was finding it hard though, he hadn't seen her all day but she'd been heavy on his mind.   
  
She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears.  
  
"I'm just so overtired right now. All I want to do is curl up in a ball and cry." Calleigh admitted.  
  
"Yeah, rumor has it you spent the night here with Hagen." Speed said, forcing a neutral tone, since he knew he had no right to be jealous.  
  
"He insisted on staying here with me and I wasn't in any position to disagree---" Calleigh began to explain.  
  
"Come home with me." He said, taking her hand. "I don't care about that, I'm just glad you're safe."  
  
"I don't know if that's such a good idea right now, Tim. I mean, even shooting a few rounds on my gun didn't make me feel better. Sleep is all I really need..." Calleigh said with a note of hesitation.  
  
"Nothing has to happen just because you come home with me. You lost a friend, Calleigh. Why don't you let me help you?" Calleigh looked torn for a moment but at last she nodded her head, too exhausted to argue.  
  
*****  
  
Once at his place Tim fixed her a cup of hot chocolate and brought it to her, as she sat in his favorite chair with a blanket wrapped around her. She accepted the mug with a tiny smile and inhaled the rich chocolate scent before taking a sip. He took a seat on the couch across from her.  
  
"Mmm, this is good." She said and his heart hurt as he watched her enjoy the steaming liquid. It felt so right having her here, it always did. He knew it would be so easy to fit her into his life---it always felt so empty without her.  
  
It wasn't possible though, they had both agreed on that. Speed remembered the first time they had been together. It had been a night similar to this one, only a few months ago.  
  
Megan had left again without so much as a goodbye and he'd been depressed. They both had. Calleigh had suggested watching a movie at her place and he had ended up spending the night in her bed. It had been inevitable, really. There had always been a simmering attraction between them and when the opportunity had presented itself neither one had hesitated.  
  
He had woken early the next morning and watched her sleep for a little while, knowing that he couldn't let himself love her. There was just too much to lose. Not only for him but for her as well. He had left before she was awake and did his best to avoid her at work the next day.  
  
He couldn't get away with it though and Calleigh had tracked him down by mid-afternoon. The hurt look on her face spoke volumes and he pulled her into his arms.  
  
He hadn't been able to deny that he had feelings for her but told her he just didn't want a relationship right now. She had insisted that she didn't either.   
  
Whatever happened, happened but she didn't expect a commitment from him. All she wanted was a bit of respect and if they could offer each other a bit of comfort now and then---why not?  
  
Or so they had been telling each other for months now. Speed watched her now, wondering how he could have thought that he could sleep with someone like Calleigh and try to keep his feelings from getting out of control. He was fooling himself and he knew that it couldn't go on like this.  
  
Wordlessly Calleigh joined him on the couch and cuddled up to him, sharing some of the blanket. He put his arms around her and realized how good it felt, having her this close and knowing that she could have easily been a victim today and lost to him forever.   
  
He could pretend that she wasn't becoming his world but he knew it was inevitable, as everything else had been.  
  
He thought about that picture of Janet again, bleeding in the sand and he knew what he had to do.  
  
But not tonight.  
  
The End 


End file.
